Total Soccer Advance is one of those GBA sports games that actually holds up. The controls are simple—just enough buttons to pull off slick passes and shots without overcomplicating things—but the real fun is in how fast the matches feel. You’re not waiting around for animations; it’s all quick turns, last-minute tackles, and those satisfying long shots that somehow sneak past the keeper.

Picking a team at first feels a little random (stats aren’t super obvious), but after a few matches, you start noticing which squads have that extra speed or better midfield control. And yeah, the AI can be brutal if you crank up the difficulty—defenders actually close gaps instead of just standing there.

Tournament mode’s where I spent most of my time, though. There’s something about the chunky pixel-art crowds and the way the camera zooms in slightly on goals that makes even a 1-0 win feel dramatic. If you’ve got a friend with a GBA and a link cable, it’s a solid way to kill half an hour arguing over offside calls.